La Tour d’Argent

Greg and I had many fabulous meals while we were in Paris. Some were simple picnics in a garden, and others were elaborate courses in spectacular settings.

Our dinner at La Tour d’Argent was one of the latter, and that’s where we ate the best food we had in France!

Our table wasn’t ready when we arrived, so they served us complimentary champagne and snacks in the downstairs lobby. If only all restaurants did this, I would never mind waiting for a table!

After what seemed like no time at all we were whisked upstairs and greeted with jaw-dropping views out of the restaurant’s windows.

Our table was right next to the window, giving us a spectacular view of Notre Dame. That is, when the shade was open.

When we arrived at the restaurant the shades on our side were shut due to the sun. The problem? The sun was hidden where we were sitting, so it would have been no issue to raise our shade except for the fact that all of the shades are connected. The restaurant couldn’t raise our shade without also raising the shades for everyone, including those across the restaurant who would then have the sun in their eyes.

I find it ridiculous that a restaurant as nice as La Tour d’Argent, where you’re spending an obscene amount of money for dinner, cannot come up with a system where shades can be raised separately. We arrived at 8:30pm and it was so frustrating sitting behind a shade with no view for over an hour for absolutely no reason.

At around 9:45pm the shades went up, so I recommend booking your table for later in the evening to avoid the exasperation.

Once our shade was up, though, our views were spectacular.

Greg asked our waiter for the wine list, expecting it to be a sheet of paper or a small menu. Imagine his shock when this massive encyclopedia-sized wine list arrived, leading us to wonder where exactly they store all of this wine!

He eventually settled on this dust-covered bottle from the year of his birth. Luckily the wine was another good thing to come out of 1977!

We were brought the prettiest nibbles while we browsed the menu.

Since Greg and I had had success thus far in the trip by ordering the tasting menus, we decided on the five course “Imagination de Philippe” tasting at €290 each. There was just something fun about ordering “the imagination” for dinner!

All of the dishes were wonderful, but this one may have been my favorite. It was the softest dumpling covered in foam and flowers and it was absolutely delicious.

Since each dish was magnificent the chef clearly has quite the imagination!

At the end of the meal we were brought out an array of desserts.

And one very special dessert. Even though it was a couple of days after my birthday, I’m a big believer in celebrating birthday month, especially when you’re in Paris!

I blew out the candle and made a wish, even though all of my Paris wishes had already come true.

To find out more information on La Tour d’Argent, or to make a reservation, click here.